these weeks and months of precious seniority slipping away – already Douglas of the Phoebe, Evans on the West Indies station, and a man he did not know called Raitt had been made; they were in the last Gazette and now they were ahead of him on the immutable list of post-captains; he would be junior to them for ever.
In "Master and Commander," the protagonist grapples with the realization that his hard-earned seniority is diminishing as others are promoted ahead of him. He feels the weight of time as he watches fellow officers, like Douglas and Evans, rising through the ranks while he remains stagnant. This situation intensifies his anxiety about being forever junior to their positions on the list of post-captains. The sense of urgency and frustration is palpable as he reflects on how these promotions are not just numbers but represent his aspirations slipping away. The permanence of their advancement weighs heavily on him, amplifying his feelings of inadequacy and the relentless nature of naval hierarchies. In this moment, he recognizes the growing distance between his ambitions and the reality of his career path.
In "Master and Commander," the protagonist grapples with the realization that his hard-earned seniority is diminishing as others are promoted ahead of him. He feels the weight of time as he watches fellow officers, like Douglas and Evans, rising through the ranks while he remains stagnant. This situation intensifies his anxiety about being forever junior to their positions on the list of post-captains.
The sense of urgency and frustration is palpable as he reflects on how these promotions are not just numbers but represent his aspirations slipping away. The permanence of their advancement weighs heavily on him, amplifying his feelings of inadequacy and the relentless nature of naval hierarchies. In this moment, he recognizes the growing distance between his ambitions and the reality of his career path.
